Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames
by thedgdragonfly
Summary: To live with only memories of hate, and to live with only the dreams of revenge. After a fateful encounter with Portgas D. Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates, Falco only has one last chance to start her life anew. Arc 1: The Dawn of Dreams.


**Chapter 1: Dawn of Dreams**

* * *

 _Was it fate that chose your path?_

 _If you knew of what would happen in the future,_

 _Would you've preferred to have never been born?_

* * *

Chestnut-brown hair flew behind the nimble girl, making the autumn leaves rustle behind her. She stumbled clumsily over a small boulder but paid no attention, wincing at her injuries as she did so. Blood bled profusely from her waist as she attempted to clutch it to remedy the pain. The Kairoseki bullet had clipped her wings for good.

Twelve years. Why now?

"Hold it!"

"It's Falco!"

"Get her!"

If only she could release her Devil Fruit ability—then she could fly away and escape from her pursuers. But the bullet embedded in her shoulder prevented her from going anywhere. Falco furrowed her eyebrows in disgust at the thought of them—they were one of the only things that could take a bird down from the sky.

The forest path before her blurred, and sweat poured down her pale face. She should've been at the exit by now. She knew she wasn't going to last much longer at this rate…

 _There!_

The rocky path had finally cleared into a large village by the sea, bustling with people enjoying the warm, sunny day. Brown and orange rooftops baked under the bright rays of sunshine on the summer island, seagulls circling the vast blue ocean.

Falco sighed in relief. Her house was close to the entrance of the forest so if she could just run in quickly and grab her swords, she would definitely be at an advantage. Although she didn't understand why it was happening _today_ of all days, the time when the Marines would know of her existence and aim to kill her was one she expected. An emergency bag with just a few of her belongings always waited for her on the kitchen table, in case she'd have to evacuate immediately.

The normally peaceful town looked at Falco strangely, running at the speed of light with blood marking her path, with three Marines running furiously after her. Shoving people left and right, Falco navigated her way through the narrow corridors and alleyways she'd memorized for the past twelve years on this island. A cobblestone path indicated that she was almost home. The Marines were closing in on her, but she finally sighted the small grey house before her.

Falco panted and burst inside, grabbing a sheathed sword on the table. She faced the door, preparing to face her pursuers with the silver weapon in front of her.

"Ensign Masamoto! We've found her!" A Marine cried, pointing to her door. The chief Marine wasted no time entering her home, pushing his subordinates out of the way.

He gave her a wicked grin. "I didn't think you'd be here, of all the places."

"How do you know of my identity?" Falco snarled, holding her sword in front of her. She held it out with an air of menace, prepared to kill whoever dared to attack her. Haki enveloped her body, surprising the ensign.

The Marine gave her a long, hard stare, ignoring her question.

"We don't have to do this the hard way."

"Yeah, well," said Falco, lunging forward as fast as her legs would carry her. " _This_ is the easiest way for me."

The ensign had severely underestimated her, something that irked her quite a bit. Ignoring her injury, she moved quickly to deflect every attack using his power to her advantage. Silver sparked every time the two attacked, but even with the ensign trying his best, it was very clear as to who the real winner was. Falco sidestepped or blocked every one of his attacks easily, not a trace of fear or hesitance in her swings.

Ensign Masamoto struck his blade down, only to have Falco block herself again. But this time, she didn't deflect his sword away, instead, she reached for another sheathe that had been hidden behind her body. She pulled out slowly, holding it so that the blade would point downwards.

The ensign hadn't realized that he was cut by the time Falco had fully unsheathed her blade. She whipped the katana upwards, making the two subordinates watching gasp in horror at the blood that sprayed out of their captain's body like a fountain. They immediately ran out of the house once he reeled backwards in pain, clutching onto her table to regain his balance.

"You're a _traitor_ ," he spat. "You _betrayed_ the Marines and decided to hide out on an island protected by a _pirate_ —"

"I wasn't going to kill you," said Falco, eyes cold and lifeless. "But you better watch your words. I never betrayed the Marines because I was never part of them. In case nobody told you, I was eight the last time I resided in a Marine base."

"Your grandfather will never let you go."

"Does it matter?" she challenged. "If there's one person I hate more than my father, it's _him_."

The ensign clutched the large wound, watching the blood seep out of him. "I suppose that's it then. They told me you would've gotten weaker. That you would've lost your ability to fight. That your sword would be dull. But I guess you never slacked off. To think that the little brat from twelve years ago can now use Haki…"

He gave her a look of determination. "You may have never met me, but I know who you are. It was a good duel, finish me."

Falco hid herself under a brown cloak. Grabbing the bag off of her table and the three swords beside it, she stepped in front of the door.

"Just because I don't kill doesn't mean I'm merciful," she grinned, despite the pain that was slowly creeping back to her. "I've given you a shallow cut. You'll scar, maybe even die if no one finds you within the next hour. But if you do make it out alive, that wound will always remind you of your defeat. And you'll have to live with it."

With that she ran forwards, never looking back to what was already a reminiscent of the past. She entered a quiet alleyway, maneuvering swiftly through the labyrinth of the town and spotted the port that was some ways away from her. She could take a ship and sail away, go to another island that was much like this one, and start anew.

Despite the gnawing fear in her heart, Falco was excited. When was the last time she'd gone out to explore the sea? A setting for romances and adventures, where pirates fought for their dreams and Marines for their justice. She didn't even understand _why_ people bothered picking a side—if each person minded their own business, there wouldn't be a need to fight, would there?

 _I better find a doctor first._ Falco told herself. Not only was the bleeding getting worse, but her vision was starting to blur again. It was only during the swordfight she could concentrate hard enough to ignore her pain. Now it was hindering her chances of escape.

 _You have to think this out._ She thought. _The Marines know where I'm at—there's no ways it was only those three that came to this island. If no ship can leave the port right now, I'll have to hide for the night… but will I even make it through to the next morning?_

Her absentminded thoughts were stopped abruptly when she crashed into something hard, making her body spin in pain. She fell unceremoniously onto the concrete floor, feeling her balance disappear.

"What the _fuck_ ," Falco groaned, attempting to look for the perpetrator. A shadow loomed over her, making the girl freeze in fear. She prepared her legs to run as fast as they could, in case it had been a Marine.

"You okay?" She heard the voice of a concerned man. He hauled the girl up quite easily, with his muscular arms and well-built body. His gentle, friendly orbs looked at her own golden ones in concern. A splash of freckles adorned his tanned face, and his slightly curly hair framed his kind features. A set of red beads hung loosely around his neck, along with a tattered orange hat that sat on top of his head. He bent down to grab her bag of swords as well, handing it to the surprised girl.

"You were, ah, running pretty fast," he smiled. "Wait, you have golden eyes… is your name Falco by any chance?"

The girl nodded, surprised that somebody other than the Marines knew of her name. He seemed to ponder for a moment, and grinned.

"Running away?"

Falco was tempted to ignore his question and continue her escape when the sound of thundering footsteps made the girl freeze in her tracks. She heard the sound of a magazine enter a pistol, and moments later, pain exploding on her waist. It grazed the arm of the man who helped her, but embedded itself in her body. She coughed up blood, recoiling backwards. The man caught her just in time and looked left and right to find the perpetrator.

A large group of Marines, maybe around fifty men, surrounded the two, guns pointing at them threateningly. Falco's vision blurred, feeling her consciousness slipping in and out. She could barely make out the voices shouting around her.

"—her go. You don't even know who she—"

"It's him! Vice-Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Hiken no Ace—"

"—is the woman?"

"When's Admiral—"

"HIBASHIRA!"

A burning hotness jolted Falco awake, and all she saw was orange fire swirling in front of her, embracing the two into a tall pillar of an inferno. It exploded outwards, burning everything within a ten-metre radius of them. The man, 'Hiken no Ace', took this chance to sling Falco over his shoulder and leaped over the stone wall that lead to the wooden port where a long, yellow raft sat on the water.

With a soft rumble, the engine started and the raft shot forwards, splashing water all over her and Ace. They heard another gunshot in the distance, and Ace took that split second to turn around and shoot bullets of fire to intercept the shots. Falco's golden eyes widened in amazement at his quick reaction time. A short exchange continued, with several more bullets and cannons launching towards them, all stopped by Ace's fire attacks.

A group of Marines also got into several small boats, speeding their way to where Ace and Falco were at. The man only grinned, feeling as confident as ever. It would take a lot more than these small-fries to bring him down. What he was worried about, however, was the _Admiral_ somebody had mentioned.

"Hang in there, Falco," he said reassuringly, turning the raft around a full 180 degrees. Ace jumped lightly on his raft, creating a splash of sea water that intercepted one raft, and shot bullets of fire out his left fingers that intercepted another. A Marine from a different boat pointed a gun at him, getting ready to shoot.

"Hand the girl over!"

"Who are you working under?" Ace interrupted, a question that was promptly ignored. He fired a shot, but Ace was too quick for it, letting him pass by into the open air.

"What business do you have with the girl?"

"Well what business does she have with _you_?" Ace asked cheekily, causing an uproar in the remaining three ships. They attempted to narrow in on him, but Ace's raft was much too fast for the Marines. His eyes caught a glimpse of the girl slung over his shoulder, who was turning paler and paler, sweat and blood pouring down her small face.

Ace furrowed his eyebrows with worry. Her injuries looked more severe than what he'd hoped, and he had no idea where his crew was at. He'd have to find the main fleet fast, where all the best doctors and nurses resided. But before that…

His attention turned back to the fifteen Marines in front, waiting for him to attack.

"Isn't group too small to be chasing after me?" he frowned. "I was hoping for at least an admiral…"

"Do not talk about our leader that way!" one Marine said, feeling furious. "He is a man of great power and justice—if he was here, he would've put your sorry pirate ass into a cell—"

"Boring," Ace yawned. He pulled a clenched fist back, preparing to use his signature move.

"HIKEN!"

Falco's eyes flashed with a bright, youthful orange that made her feel warm, despite how hot the actual attack must've been. Not only had the attack hit all three ships at once, but the hot gas collided with the cool sea, sending a cloud of mist up to conceal them from any other pursuers.

 _Hiken no Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates…_ Falco recalled. _Well, he certainly lives up to his name…_

It was only then that Falco realized she was being taken away by a pirate, and she wasn't entirely sure which side was worse. But this man, Ace, didn't have a murderous intent in his eyes, like what the Marines had. She decided to worry about it later, once she got treated.

"Why… did you save me?" she asked, closing her eyes. Ace flipped her over, carrying her bridal-style. His muscular shoulders rose, shrugging casually.

"Dunno. It was Oyaji who gave us a mission to find you. Whatever it was, he told us not to hurt you if possible, but bring you back by all means. From the sounds of it, you're not an enemy. And if you're a friend of Oyaji, you're a friend of mine. What exactly he wants from you is beyond me, but we'll talk once we get home."

"Do you think… he'll kill me?" Falco asked as a joke. Well—she certainly hoped he wouldn't. Then all her years of training would've gone to waste.

Ace chuckled. "I don't think so. Again, we were told not to hurt you."

"There are others looking for me?"

He nodded. "My brothers. You'll meet them soon—they're all pretty cool and powerful."

 _The Marines…_ thought Falco. _Whitebeard… how did they all know where I was?_

Ace's warmth and the cool sea breeze calmed her, despite her growing fears. Root Island, the place she'd resided on for the past twelve years was one protected by Whitebeard. No Marines dared to step foot on it, nor did most of the pirates, which is why she chose the island in the first place.

"I think we're almost here," said Ace. Falco turned her head to look, where she saw nothing but the blue sea in front of her. Not even an island was in sight—they really were in the middle of nowhere.

"Where—" she started, but stopped once she saw four black blobs that were growing bigger and bigger by the second underneath the ocean's surface. There was nothing in the sky that was falling, which meant that it was coming up from below…

A giant blue whale shot out from the ocean with three ships behind it, making Falco squeal in surprise. After a closer inspection, Falco realized that it wasn't a whale, but rather, a huge ship that was only designed to look like one. Its massive sails opened as if to stretch in the open space, and the remaining three, though smaller than the whale-like one, was big enough to cast a shadow on her and Ace, even if they were still some distance away.

She could hear the cry of a bird above, and when she looked up, she saw a dazzling blue bird soaring in the sky. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a bird of fire—a phoenix. It approached the two, and when it got close enough, everything except for its arms turned into a body of a human.

"Marco!" Ace waved, once he recognized those signature flames. The phoenix looked at Ace in shock, before smacking him on the back of his head angrily.

"You shot her?!" he exclaimed. "Ace, we briefed you a hundred times not to hurt her—"

Ace rubbed his head in annoyance. "I didn't shoot her! I'm not _that_ stupid, Marco! She was already injured when I found her."

Falco inspected the phoenix man, who had familiar-looking droopy eyes and a hairstyle that closely resembled the top of a pineapple. She guessed that the man had to either be extremely confident in his looks or stupid to sport a hairstyle like that without batting an eye.

Marco lead them to the biggest ship, where a platform awaited them on the sea. All three of them stepped onto it, and crewmates above hauled the three up to the deck.

"She needs medical attention," said Ace. "Where's Florence?"

Right on cue, a blonde-haired nurse with beautiful blue eyes, wearing leopard-print stockings and a hot pink nurse's outfit wormed her way through the crowd, going to Marco's side.

"What's the matter, captain?" she asked, concerned eyes scanning Falco. Ace quickly explained the situation to the nurse, but Falco seemed to be growing paler and paler by the second.

"Kairoseki bullets," Florence whispered. "They're poisoned as well. Whatever the reason was, the Marines must've wanted the poor thing at all costs, especially if they're using such rare and expensive weapons."

She gave Marco a serious look. "At any rate, we're going to have to perform a surgery. Carry her down for me."

Marco took the girl in his arms and quickly followed Florence, going below decks.

The crowd of people who were watching buzzed about in confusion. Who was the girl? Why did the Marines and Oyaji want her? Why was she injured?

"Yo!" A familiar voice called out to Ace, just as the crowd was starting to dissipate. A man with a brown, pompadour-styled hair walked over casually to the Vice-Commander in greetings. "So you were the one who found Falco, huh? Lucky you. You're on a roll these days."

"Yeah, some luck," Ace grinned back to the Fourth Division's Commander, Thatch. "But who cares as long as the mission benefits the family?"

Thatch laughed loudly in agreement. "That's our Ace. Always looking out for the crew. But at this rate, you'll get the title of a Commander for sure—ol' Teach doesn't even seem to want it. But then again, he's never been the type to really stand out too much."

The tall man's eyes suddenly widened at Ace's appearance. "Holy crap, shouldn't you be checked out by a nurse too? You're bleeding everywhere!"

"Hmm?" He inspected his body which was covered in blood—his front, his shoulders, his pants, his shoes…

"It's… not my blood," whispered Ace, surprised at how he didn't realize how much blood Falco had lost during their short encounter. He was surprised that she was even conscious when they were cruising through the sea. Maybe it was his bare chest that made it seem worse than what it was, but he looked like he'd just ran through a chainsaw.

Thatch brushed his forehead in relief. "That's good. Go get showered, Ace. I'm sure by the time Florence is done with the surgery, Oyaji will want a mission report."

Ace nodded, still inspecting his bloodied hands.

* * *

 **Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames**

 **I:** **Dawn of Dreams**

* * *

When Ace entered the ICU room next to the nurses' quarters, Florence, Marco, and Thatch surrounded the white bed that Falco was sleeping on. Florence looked exhausted, and even Marco looked worn-out for some reason.

"Okay…" Ace started. "I get why she'd be tired but why do you look like you're about to die?"

Marco gave Ace an annoyed look. "Emergency blood transfusion. She's an O- apparently."

"You're O-?"

"Apparently."

Thatch rolled his eyes heavenwards at the dumb conversation. "It was tiring just to watch. I've never seen Florence look so frantic before—don't we have emergency blood supplies anyways?"

"I would've ran to get them," Florence groaned. "If Oyaji didn't threaten me yesterday to make sure only _I_ performed any medical procedures on her. And he was putting so much pressure on me… I saw Marco and went 'Why the heck not?' I mean, he's pretty much a sack of beautiful blood."

Marco slumped forward in his seat, looking like he never wanted to be near Florence again. The First Division's Commander looked pale and worn out.

Ace's eyes made their way back to Falco, who was sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed, with only a single IV inserted in her veins. Her chestnut-brown hair fanned around her small face, and her pale complexion made her look sick and weak.

"How's she doing?" Ace asked Florence, grabbing a chair.

"Pretty good," she shrugged. "Actually, much better than what I'd expected. Some of her wounds have already begun to close up. I can't guarantee that she'll be scarless though."

Ace nodded slowly. "So… does anyone know who she is? Or why Oyaji wants her? I mean, I haven't been here as long as you guys, but I've never heard of somebody named 'Falco' before."

Florence jerked her chin towards Marco and Thatch. "Those two know, but they won't tell me anything. Seems like it's a very private mission, seeing how only the commanders and Vice-Commanders of Divisions 1 through 4 were sent. Oyaji normally sends whoever's available during regular missions, right?"

"You guys know who she is?" Ace questioned the two. "What makes her so important?"

At that moment, something stirred, and the group could see a conscious Falco who had raised her hand into the air, observing the IV needle. Her golden eyes blinked tiredly.

"She's awake," said Florence. "Wait… you're awake? Already?"

The girl gingerly tried to prop herself up, Thatch immediately going to her side to help her. She looked around the small operating room and the group of chairs surrounding her bed.

"What… happened?" she asked. "I don't remember anything except for a giant whale… but maybe that was a dream…"

Marco gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're on board of the _Moby Dick_ , the Whitebeard Pirates' main ship. You had pretty bad injuries, and Florence over there has helped you heal."

"Don't forget your blood as well," Florence winked. Falco nodded to the nurse in thanks.

The girl stared at the IV in her vein and ripped it out, tossing it carelessly behind her. She got off of the white bed and took a step but stumbled forwards, forcing Ace to catch her.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" he asked, helping her up. "You're in no condition to move right now."

She wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "I'm fine, just a little weak. Will you help me go to wherever your captain is right now? I need to talk to him."

Ace looked at Florence, feeling distraught. She shook her head 'no', but Marco gave him an encouraging smile. And the sooner Ace knew who this girl was, the better it was for his curiosity.

Despite Florence's protests, Ace hauled the girl up and carried her a floor up, where a giant door stood at the far end of the corridor. The other three trailed behind him, curious to see Whitebeard's reaction.

Ace gave the door a knock. "Oyaji. It's me, Ace."

A deep, powerful voice shook the hall. "Come in."

Falco got off Ace and took small steps forward, supporting herself with Ace's arm. Thatch, Marco, and Florence looked at the sick figure worriedly.

The captain had his eyes focused onto a stack of papers in front of him, writing quickly with an ink pen that was approximately the size of Marco's head. Once he'd finished, his dark eyes, clouded with old age but still as menacing as ever, looked up.

Falco evenly met his gaze with her golden eyes, knowing that her orbs were the greatest weapons she had. True swordsmen, even before the fight, would read their enemies with only their eyes.

Whitebeard stood from his desk and made his way over to the girl. When he was close enough, he went on one knee, and gave her a warm embrace, shocking everyone.

"It has been a while," he whispered. "Twelve years must've been extremely lonely for you."

Nobody had been expecting that. Even Falco was frozen stiff with fear. The captain released her and stood up again, a gentleness in his eyes that Ace had never seen before. He looked… nostalgic.

"I…" Falco started, choosing her words very carefully. "Have I met you before?"

Whitebeard chuckled. "I suppose we have, when you were very, very young. I didn't expect you to remember me though. Do I feel familiar in any way? Maybe this ship?"

Falco's golden eyes turned jaded and cold. "Nothing here feels familiar to me at all. But there is something I have to confess, Whitebeard. I've lost my memories, a long time ago. Everything has been wiped clean, and it's been getting worse and worse."

Marco, Thatch, Florence, and Ace all looked shocked at her confession that she said so casually, but Whitebeard nodded as if to understand.

"I heard. Your teacher told me a while back."

 _Shishou!_ "Was he the one who told you about where I resided at?" Falco asked angrily. "Did he tell on the Marines as well? Is that how everyone suddenly knew about my existence?"

Whitebeard shook his head. "Quite the contrary, actually. An Admiral had located where you were living from an outside source, and somebody relayed this information to your teacher, and he asked me to evacuate you. Unfortunately, he couldn't come all the way here, so he sent me instead, and if possible, convince you to stay."

Falco clenched her fists. "I do not take sides, Whitebeard. I do not kill or steal. I don't think I'm fit to be a pirate."

At this, the captain burst into laughter, which filled the vast room. "If only your mother could hear you say that. Pirates aren't just about killing and stealing though."

"I don't even remember by mother," she whispered, ignoring his second statement. "I only remember two people—"

"Your father and your grandfather," Whitebeard finished. "I know your entire family very well, Falco. And I probably know more about you than what you know about yourself. Tell me, how bad is your amnesia?"

She pondered for a moment. "It seems to reset every once in a while. That's why I never bothered to write in a journal—even if I did, the memories would be wiped away so well that it would be no different than me reading a fictional tale. Sometimes I don't even remember ever writing in a journal."

Ace glanced over to his captain who nodded slowly. "And? If you will not join my crew, where will you go?"

"I will find a different island, protected by a Yonko, and I will resume my training there until I am strong enough to face my father and my grandfather."

Whitebeard looked at her amusedly. "Even if I say that I'll tell you bits about your past as time goes on?"

"My past is not important," said Falco, clearly wanting to end the conversation. "It is my future that I'm waiting for."

With that she gave a curt bow and turned around, reaching for the doorknob to exit the suffocating room.

"Your mother—" Whitebeard started, making Falco stop in her tracks. "Was a daughter of mine. A very famous one too. She worked alongside of Marco and Thatch, way back in the past."

The girl's eyes widened. Her mother was a pirate? She hadn't known that.

"She was the Fourth Division's Commander, right before she gave her seat up to Thatch. Star D. Maria—that was her name. She was a very well-respected pirate across the Grand Line. You'll come across her name once in a while on the Grand Line."

Ace could feel the momentum slowly shifting back to Whitebeard. Falco's hand dropped, golden eyes looking confused.

"If you stay, I can tell you everything I know about you and your family," the captain continued. "You do not have to bear my name, but if you stayed for a while, even as a guest, that would ease my old heart up quite a bit."

Falco quickly turned around, looking at Whitebeard with half-anger, half-curiosity. "Why are you so adamant that I stay?"

"Because," Marco stepped forwards, smiling gently at Falco. "It was the first and last request Maria had for us before she died. To take care of you if you were in danger. Not forever, but in case you were in danger before you had the chance to see the world."

Falco looked at Marco and Thatch in disbelief. "But why? What am I in danger of? My father doesn't even _care_ that I exist. And I have nothing worth of value to me that would cause me to be in danger."

Whitebeard went back to his desk and sat down on a giant chair. "That's where you're wrong. The Marines have begun their move—your grandfather wants you back at Marineford to join the Marines, and he believes you are now ready."

Falco clenched her fists, feeling absolutely livid. "If there's one thing I hate more than my father, it is my grandfather."

"Ah yes," Whitebeard nodded. "The father who became a Marine and the daughter who became a pirate."

Whitebeard studied the tattoos Marco, Thatch, Ace, and Florence bore with so much pride. "You have a choice too, Falco. Why don't you join me and continue to carry on your mother's legacy in the Fourth Division under Thatch?"

She thought hard. Was going out to sea really the best idea for someone like her, who was still so far away from achieving her dream? Would she be able to protect herself, and get along with others, despite the lack of contact she had with another human being for the past twelve years?

But at this point, Falco understood that she had no options. Her master had requested the Whitebeard Pirates personally, which meant that they were trustworthy. There was nowhere else on the Grand Line for the time being, for her to be safe and concealed.

Falco met Whitebeard's gaze and gave him a single nod. "I accept, but only as a guest. When I believe that it is the right time, I will leave to continue my journey."

The captain gave her a nod of approval. "Very well. But I think you should try beating Marco here first before you continue training anywhere else. He's not an easy opponent."

Before Falco accepted the captain's challenge, Ace burst out in annoyance. "I'm still confused and you guys aren't answering any of the important questions! Who _is_ she? Who's her master? Who is her father and her grandfather?"

Falco gave the captain a smirk, as if she were challenging him to answer the questions. And when he did, the blood in her body seemed to boil hotter with hatred and revenge.

Whitebeard's eyes never left Falco's. "Her current alias is Falco D. Mihawk, daughter of the Shichibukai Dracule Mihawk and the Fourth Division's old Commander, Star D. Maria. While her parents may've been famous pirates, her grandfather is a well-respected Marine."

Her golden eyes sparked with murderous intent.

"Admiral Sakazuki."

* * *

 **First of all, I'd like to welcome all of my new readers to this FanFiction. _Romance Dawn_ holds a special place in my heart because it was the first long-term project I ever wrote about, so I'd like to thank each and every reader for trying this story.**

 **Before I point some things out, please check out my tumblr ( .com) for a full review on my chapters, One Piece themes, prompts, and other fun things related to this fandom.**

 **My Author's Notes won't generally be this long, but because this is an opening chapter, I'd like to clear up some things:**

 **-The name _Falco D. Mihawk_ is an alias—her real name will be revealed much later on. Although it's not that important as of now, names are the identity of people, and by losing her real name, Falco has pretty much lost her identity as a person.**

 **-Her amnesia will also be explained much further down the story, as well as why I decided to make her lose her memories.**

 **-This story is also full of romantic clichés, so if you're not a fan of those, I do apologize.**

 **-This FanFiction has a slow beginning but it will move _much_ quickly as time goes on. I hope you'll leave a review for this story and follow it for the upcoming chapters.**

 **Lastly, I also have a Sword Art Online FanFiction up, if any of you readers are SAO fans. Please drop a review and if I get ten or more review/follow/favourites, I'll upload data about Falco D. Mihawk on Tumblr! Your support means the world to me.**

 **-Jae**


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